Norwich woman died from overdose of drugs supplied by mother’s partner

A 26-year-old woman died as a result of an overdose from drugs supplied to her by her mother’s partner, an inquest has heard.

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Natasha Dye, from Desmond Drive, off Spixworth Road, Norwich, died at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on June 24 last year.

An inquest held yesterday heard that, the day before, Miss Dye had been at an address on Aylsham Road where her mother Carmen Dye and partner Vincent Culyer had been living.

Giving evidence, Detective Constable Rachel Elliott said police were called to the address by Culyer, who she said had since pleaded guilty to supplying Class A drugs to Miss Dye. He said Miss Dye “had taken an overdose” and was in a “bad way”.

Officers arrived to find her in cardiac arrest and administered CPR before paradmedics took her to hospital where she suffered further cardiac arrests including one for 40 minutes which resulted in non-recoverable brain damage.

A post-mortem examination established cause of death was diffuse hypoxic brain injury due to intoxication by morphine and/ or heroin and alcohol.

Det Con Elliott said Culyer and Carmen Dye were both arrested after having been taken to hospital to be examined as they had taken heroin from the same batch.

Culyer, who is to be sentenced on February 22, denied injecting Miss Dye although he admitted putting it in Carmen Dye’s neck.

He told police he noticed Miss Dye “had her head down” after taking the drugs and asked if she was okay and she said “yes”.

No further action was taken against Carmen Dye who later told police Culyer had admitted he had injected her daughter, but she refused to make a statement.

Deputy Norfolk Coroner Jacqueline Lake said she was “satisfied” Miss Dye, who had a “long history of drug and alcohol abuse” and had been “in and out of prison”, died as a result of an overdose and was injected with heroin, although she admitted “we don’t know who injected Natasha”.

She said: “The verdict is that Natasha Dye died from non-dependent drug abuse”.

She added: “Natasha was very young to have died in such a tragic manner.”